Barcelona are closing in on a deal for Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus worth £8.6m (10m euros), with the transfer described as being at an advanced stage. The finer details still need finalising, but the move is expected to be completed before Tuesday’s deadline, with Jesus due to travel for a medical on Monday.
Napoli had also shown interest in the Brazil international, but it is Barcelona who look set to win the race for the 29-year-old.
How the deal is structured
The source material does not indicate this as a loan arrangement. Instead, the reporting frames it as a fee-based transfer, with Arsenal said to be willing to consider Jesus’ departure for a fee now rather than risk losing him for nothing when his contract — which runs until the summer of 2027 — approaches its final year.
Arteta confirms the situation
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta addressed Jesus’ situation at a media briefing on Thursday, confirming the striker had not been training with the squad ahead of Monday’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa. Asked directly whether that meant Jesus was on his way out, Arteta replied: “Personal situations, whatever they are, I think it’s clear.”
Jesus joined Arsenal from Manchester City in 2022 and leaves having scored 32 goals with 22 assists in 123 appearances for the club. Last season he made 27 appearances across all competitions, scoring six goals.
A third Premier League arrival of the summer
Should the move go through, Jesus would become Barcelona’s third signing from a Premier League club this summer, following Anthony Gordon’s arrival from Newcastle and Rodri’s move from Manchester City.
The Jesus deal follows an unsuccessful pursuit of another target. Barcelona’s interest in Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez — also an Arsenal target — appeared to end earlier this week after sources told BBC Sport that Atletico would not negotiate with their Spanish rivals.
Why Barcelona turned to Jesus
According to analysis from BBC Sport’s Spanish football reporter Elizabeth Conway, Barcelona had not originally planned to sign another striker if the Alvarez deal collapsed. Jesus’ sudden availability, she writes, changed that calculation — his situation at Arsenal having shifted with Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres now ahead of him in the pecking order.
Conway notes this pursuit does not necessarily mean Barcelona have abandoned their longer-term interest in Alvarez.
The club had been looking to add a recognised centre-forward following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. Jesus, however, is not a traditional number nine — his ability to play across the front line and contribute to build-up play is, per Conway’s reporting, what makes him attractive to head coach Hansi Flick.
The injury question
One factor hanging over the move is Jesus’ recent injury record. He suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his left knee in January 2025 that kept him out for ten months — a history Conway identifies as the “main question” surrounding his move to Barcelona.
Even so, the analysis frames this as a low-cost opportunity for Barcelona to add experience, versatility and Premier League pedigree to their attacking options. Jesus spent six seasons at Manchester City before his Arsenal move, making 236 appearances and scoring 95 goals during that spell.
With his medical scheduled for Monday and the deadline looming on Tuesday, confirmation of the move — and any conditions attached to the reported £8.6m fee — is expected imminently.
